Premier Doug Ford was loudly booed by the crowd at a Special Olympics event Tuesday.

But the premier brushed aside the hostile reception when asked about it the next day, saying it was a “great event” and he supports Special Olympics Ontario.

“It was so great to see the smile on the kids faces and all the energy in the room,” Ford said Wednesday. “Our government supported it, we funded it and I’ll always continue to support kids with disability.

NDP MPP Monique Taylor said people are unhappy with cuts to the funding and services they depend on.

“(The booing) doesn’t surprise me because we hear every day from Ontarians about how deep these cuts affect them and what it means to their lives,” Taylor said. “I think good on them for making their point very clear to the premier when they had their opportunity.”

From the stage, Ford said it was the first time he had been booed, but something similar occurred during a Toronto mayoral debate in October 2014, before he was premier. Ford was booed after he referred to his Jewish lawyer and doctor when asked about anti-Semitic comments by his brother Rob.